A Perfect Star
by amessoffand0ms
Summary: Companion piece to "Prison Food?" The Doctor and River spend some time with their newborn daughter.


A Perfect Star

"Hey little one." River Song smiled at her baby daughter, who was just hours old.

Estelle Felicity Song had been born on the Tardis, on a stormy Tuesday night.

When River found out that she was pregnant with the Doctor's baby, her initial reaction had been fear. How could she, someone who had barely had a childhood herself, bring up a child?

Hoewever, the Doctor was delighted when he found out and had promised to stay with his wife every step of the way-he had been true to his word. He'd attended every single appointment with River, and she had come round to the idea of having a child.

The Doctor had managed to rewrite time-there was no longer a dark fate awaiting River at the library.

River lifted her daughter into her arms and cuddled her, stroking her baby's back as she cried. "It's all right little one, I'm here, mummy's here. I love you very much my darling, and your daddy does too, I know he does. You're our little miracle." She said, kissing the side of Estelle's head and sitting back on the bed- Essie's cot wasn't far from her parents.

The Doctor shifted beside his wife, and rolled over. He opened his eyes and smiled as he saw his wife and child.

"Hello, Sweetie." River smiled, leaning down to kiss him, careful of Essie.

"Hey darling." He replied, sitting up.

His wife shifted closer to him and he held her close. "How's my two favourite people?"

"I'm okay, and I'm pretty sure that our daughter is too." River beamed. "I only fed her an hour ago so she's not hungry, her nappy's changed as well so she's clean-I think that she just wants cuddles." She continued, smiling as Essie's tiny hand wrapped around her little finger.

"You know, she told me earlier that you're her favourite parent. I pretended to be insulted but I didn't mind really." The Doctor informed River, stroking their daughter's cheek.

"Pretended? Yeah right." River scoffed. "I bet that you were very annoyed to hear that."

He looked her in the eye. "I mean it, River. You're a fantastic mum."

"Thank you." She smiled. "I was so scared of having a baby, your baby... Thought it would have 3 heads or something."

He laughed. "I hope you're joking."

"Course I am. I was so scared of not loving her, of committing to raising a tiny life. I'm so glad that Essie was conceived, that she's ours." Said River.

"Ditto. I thought that I was going to be the last of my kind… Then I met you, and then Essie came along." The Doctor reflected.

"Yeah, I wonder if she'll be like us and travel the universe? Obviously I won't mind if she doesn't, but it would be nice." Said his wife.

Essie yawned, and her eyes fluttered shut and she fell back to sleep.

River smiled. "Night night, little one. Sweet dreams, we love you very much." She murmured, laying Essie back down in her cot.

The Doctor lay down and River followed suit, snuggling into him, and together they fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning…

"River… River… Wake up, Essie's hungry and I can't exactly feed her." The Doctor shook his wife awake gently.

River shifted, and opened her eyes. "Morning." She murmured, smiling at the sight of him cradling their daughter in his arms.

"Hello, dear." He beamed, kissing her.

River sat up and held her arms out. "Come to mum, Essie." She said, cradled her daughter in her arms, and began to feed her.

Luckily, being a child of time, Essie didn't need as much feeding as human babies, so she didn't wake her parents up in the night as much as a human baby would.

"D'you think that we should go and see your parents today?" The Doctor asked.

River shook her head. "I'm still tired, as much as I love them they'll fuss, I don't feel up to it."

"Okay." He kissed her forehead. "That's okay."

"Can you burp her for me, please? I'm going to have a shower." Said the female, handing a muslin cloth to him.

"Of course." The Doctor smiled, lifting Essie into his arms. "Hello, lovely." He said.

River got up and made her way into the ensuite, and the Doctor, who had already gotten dressed, made his way to the central console room.

He checked the scanner and various other things, hoping that the Tardis wouldn't let off a random spark or anything if she was grumpy.

Essie was gazing around the room in wonderment, a big smile on her face.

"You like it, then? Oh Essie, I bet that you'll love it. As soon as you're old enough, I'll teach you to fly it. Perhaps mummy would be better, she's a little bit more… Organised when it comes to piloting. Don't tell her I said that, I'll never live it down."

He noticed something on the console. On closer inspection, he discovered that it was a sonic screwdriver, styled like his own-instead of a green light though, there was a pink light.

"Oh Essie, it's a present from the Tardis! Your own little sonic!" Said the Doctor with a smile on his face. "Thank you, Sexy." He said to the ship.

The Tardis hummed in response.

"She loves you so much already, as do me and your mum. Whatever happens, you will never be short of people who love you." The Doctor smiled, gazing down at his daughter.

Meanwhile, River had had a shower by now and was currently drying her hair-no mean feat.

Her hair was now almost fully dry, she decided to leave it at that. She got dressed and made her way into the central console room.

The Doctor was sat on one of the seats, Essie on his knee. He was singing her a song in Gallifreyan.

River joined in, the song was a nursery rhyme.

She sat down next to her husband as the song ended. "I must say, we do sing rather well together. What do you think, Essie?" River asked her daughter, who grinned up at her.

"I think that she liked it." The Doctor beamed.

"I think so too." Said River as Essie held her hands out to her.

"She wants you." Said the Doctor, passing Essie to his wife.

They had called her Essie because Estelle meant star- a perfect name for the child of time. Already, Essie had a head of blonde curls, just like River. She had big blue eyes to melt even the coldest of hearts.

"Right, breakfast for us?" River suggested.

"All right, then." Said the Doctor, and the little family went into the kitchen.

"By the way, I'm taking care of our daughter at the moment so it's your turn to cook." Said the Doctor's wife smugly, a cheeky grin on her face.


End file.
